Process of and apparatus for distilling oil



Nov. 22, 1927.

G. w. WALLACE ET AL PnocEss op AND APPARATUS Fora DIsTILmNG on.

Sept. 17, 1923 FIELI.

Nov. 2z, 1927. 1,650,169

G. w. WALL/Ilma E11 AL Pnocass r Arm APPARATUS Fon DISTILLING onJ Filed sept. 17. 1925 2 Sheets-sheet 2 FIEEJ.

/7/Vf55.' /N VEN TOES w eofge )14 Wa ace Patented Nov. 22, 1927.-

UNITED STATES GEORGE W. WALLACE, F

FOBNIA;

SAN FRANCISCO, AND HARRY .'K. IIIHBIG, OF BERKELEY, CALI- SAID IHBIG ASSIGNOR TO SAID WALLACE..

YBOCESS 0F AND APIARATUS FOR AIDIS'IIILVLIN'G*` OIL.

Application led September 17, 1923. Serial No. 663,033.

The invention relates to a process of and an apparatus for cracking oil.

An object of the invention is to provide an oil cracking process by which a relatively high yield of that fraction of oil which is used in the manufacture of motor fuel can be obtained from hydrocarbon oils that are heavier than the fractions from which motor fuels are made.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oil cracking process that produces a clean, nished product continuously and at a lower cost than is usual with oil cracking processes heretofore used. s Another object of the invention is to provide a still for cracking oil which lis highly efficient in operation and in which the objectionable features caused bythe deposit of carbon on the heated surfaces are substantially eliminated. i

A further object of the invention is to provide an oil cracking still in which the oil is simultaneously subjected to heat and the eect of a catalytic agent positioned in the heated oil by the means which are used to remove the carbon deposit from the tube.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing, will be set forth at length in the following description. where we shall outline in full that form of our invention whichy we have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In said drawings we have shown one form 'of apparatus embodying that feature of our invention but it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to such form` since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to'said drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical lonlgitudinal section taken through a still embo ying our invention.

- Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section of the still shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line 3--3 Figure 1'. l

Figure 4 is a detail of one of the driving Y sprocket wheels over which the chain passes.

Figure 5 is a section through a still tube showing one form of carbon removing means.

Figure Sis a similar view showing another form of carbon removing means. r

The present invention relates particularly lll vsists of two banks to thestill in which the oil is cracked. The o1l may be subjected to the cracking temperalture elther in the liquid phase or the vapor phase and the present invention is applicable to either of these uses. The vapors produced by the cracking operationpass from the'still `through a dephlegmator or fractionating column and then through a condenser or` other suitable apparatus. The oil in the still is subjected to pressure during the cracking operation but the fractionating of the oil and its condensing may be accom-Y plished under pressure or under atmospheric pre'ssure. During the cracking operation, garbon is deposited on the inner surfaces of the tubes and endless movable means areprovided for removing this carbon. We find j that by forming these means of a material which produces `a catalytic action on the oil that the .cracking of the oil is greatly facilitated. IVlfe therefore subject' the oil under pressure and cracking temperature to the action of' a catalytic agent in the ferm l of a continuously moving device which causes movement of the oil through the tubes and removes the deposited carbon from the inner faces of the tubes and conveys such carbon from the tubes. The tubes and the endless movable device are therefore kept clean, permitting catalytic action to efectively take place.

The still of our invention preferably conof vertically disposed tubes 8 and 9 arranged in parallel relation. with one bank of tubes positioned in front of the other, an upper header 1() consisting of a transversely disposed drum connected to the upper end of both of said banks of tubes and a lower header 11 consisting of a transversely disposed drum connected to the lower end of 95 both banks of tubes, the tubes constituting each bankbeing spaced apart. Any suitable means may be used for heating the tubes but we prefer to arrange the tubes in a iue or passageway 12 through which products of combustion travel from the combustion chamber of a furnace, such passageway 12 being connected at its upper end through the aperture 13 with a flue leading from the combustion chamber and being connected at its lower end through the passageway 14 with the stack. The products of combustion thus travel'longitudinally of the tubes in which the oil is cracked. The passageway 12 is preferably formed in masonry and the upper 110 and lower headers 10 and 11 are arranged outside of. the path of travel of the products of combustion. The oil to be cracked is preferably introduced into one end of the lbottom header 11 and passes upwardly lithrough the tubes of the still. When liquid cracking is done, sufficient oil is introduced (into the still to maintain the level of the oil in the upper header. As the upper header is only partially filled with liquid oil, the upper portion of said header forms a vapor chamber wherein the products resulting from the cracking reaction are liberated and from which said products discharge to the other instrumentalities for fractionating and condensing the vapors. The oil circulates rapidly throughl the tubes of the still, comes in contact with Walls which are always maintained in a highly heated condition, thus insuring rapid heating of the oil and a uniform mixture of the oil.

During the cracking operation, carbon is deposited on the interior of the tubes ofthe still and in order to prevent this carbon from' caking and thus causing the tubes to burn out means are provided for scraping olf the car Yon that collects on the interior of the tubes and removing the carbon from the tubes. 1n the form of ourinvention herein illustrated, the means that is used for this purpose consists of endless echains 22 arranged lin oppositely disposed tubes of the front and rear banks. The chains 22 pass over sheaves or sprockets 23 arranged in the upper header and pass under sheaves 24 arranged-in the lower header. The sheaves 23 are secured to a drive shaft 25, so that rotation of the shaft causes longitudinal movement of the chains through the tube. The chains travel upwardly through one bank of tubes and downwardly through the other bank of tubes, dislodging the deposited carbon from the interior of the tubes and Aconveying such carbon from the tubes. The chains may comprise ordinary link chains or may comprise link chains having washers or Scrapers 27 thereon, which remove the deposited carbon. When desired, the chains may also be provided with metallic brushes 28 for removing and conveying the carbon.

We have found that` by making these chains or ortions of the chains of catalytic material t at the operation of cracking is greatly facilitated. The chain or portions of the chain may be'made of any sultable catalyst, such as copper, cobalt, iron, nickel, platinum, magnesium, aluminum, etc., or it may carry deposits of o'r be coated with a suitable catalyst, such as titanium oxide, aluminum' chloride, iron chloride, calciumoxide,`

etc., so that the catal st 'iscaused to=move through the tube contmuously and continu-T v21131)? Cicate thel stream of oil. Steamer be in twffvat suitable intervals1:91-v ,r n

other regeneratllgl rea ent ma duced into g Y the purpose of regenerating the catalyst. We prefer to make the chain of nickel or an alloy of nickel and iron since these materials producedecidedly benecial results.- .The

movement of the chains through the tubes keeps the inner surfaces of the tubes clean f and also keeps the chains clean so that the catalyst is free to produce its maximum any deposited carbon thus not only insuring a rapid heat interchange between the gases of combustion and the oil, but also insuring clean tube surfaces and clean chain surfaces v so that the catalyzer is effective to a maximum degree in facilitating the cracking reaction.

We claim:

1. The process of cracking oil which comprises subjecting a stream of oil to sufficient heat and ressure to crack the oil in the stream an simultaneously continuously circulatingthe stream of oil thru the tube by means having a. catalytic action on the cracking reaction.

2. An apparatus for cracking oil comprising a still provided with a plurality of pairs of tubes, means for heating said tubes and endless devices having a catalytic action on the cracking reaction movable through said pairs of tubes to remove the deposited carbon from the walls of the tubes said 'devices movin lpwardly through one tube of a pair and ownwardly through the other.

3. An apparatus for cracking oil comprising a still provided with a plurality of banks of tubes arranged in pairs, means for heating-said tubes and endless device'shaving a catalytic action on the cracking reaction arranged in each pair of tubes and means for moving said devices' lon 'tudinally of the tubes to remove carbon eposits from the inner faces of the tubes.

4. An. apparatus for cracking oil comprising a still'provided with a plurality of banks of tubes arranged in pairs adapted to contain the oil that is to be cracked, means for heating said tubes, endless chains of material having a catalytic action on the cracking vreaction arranged in each pair of tubes and meansior, moving said vchains longitudinally of the ntubes to remove carb'on deposits from the inner facesfof the tubes.

testimony whereof, we set our hands. i

' GEORGE w. WALLACE.

HARRY K.'IHRIG.

have hereunto 

